What are OTC diet pills? Jim Morelli, MS, RPh. Jim Morelli, MS, RPh. Jim Morelli holds a B. S. He is registered as a pharmacist in the state of Georgia. Louise Chang, MDLouise Chang, MDDr. Chang completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and attended medical school at New York Medical College.
She completed her internal medicine residency at Saint Vincent's Hospital in New York City, where she also served as a chief resident from 2. Chang is board- certified in internal medicine. What are OTC diet pills? Only one over- the- counter diet pill is approved for weight loss: a reduced- dose formulation of orlistat known as Alli. It works by preventing absorption of about a third of ingested fat. While side effects from Alli are slightly lower than with its prescription cousin (because of the lower dose): they remain unpleasant: oily stools and discharge and potential bowel accidents if too much fat is eaten at one sitting. Alli's manufacturer recommends keeping total fat consumption to about 3. The net weight loss effect with Alli: about 5. What do I need to know about OTC diet supplements? Many other over the counter diet supplements are promoted as helping with weight loss, but few have actually been proven to work. The Food and Drug Administration classifies herbal products as dietary supplements. This means that they are unregulated and can be marketed without the years of testing and regulatory review required for prescription (and nonprescription) drugs. Remember that supplements can have side effects, and you should check with your doctor first before taking any type of supplement, including OTC diet pills. Here are some common ingredients seen in OTC diet supplements: Green tea extract: cases of liver problems in people using concentrated green tea extracts have been reported. Hydroxycitric acid: Derived from the fruit of a tree native to Southeast Asia. It generally appears to be safe, although one maker recalled its products after they were associated with liver damage. Other health problems reported included seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and serious muscle damage. What is Lipodrene? First off, Lipodrene is a diet product sold as the “#1 weight loss product in America with Ephedra.” The supplement contains caffeine, ephedra. These products contained many other ingredients, and it is unclear which ingredients or doses were associated with the liver problems. Chromium: A mineral that people can get through diet, particularly meats, whole- grains, and some vegetables and fruits. It has been linked to side effects such as headaches and dizziness as well as more serious health problems at high doses. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Found naturally in meat and dairy products, it may cause stomach upset. Hoodia: Derived from an African plant native to the Kalahari Desert. Hoodia products typically contain other additional ingredients. Its safety is not yet known. Chitosan: Made from the starch found in shellfish. Stacker 2 diet pills, weight loss, energy shots, sports nutrition products and supplements. Stacker 2 is a global product line of diet and energy supplements.Pyruvate: Produced by the body as a result of the breakdown of carbohydrate and protein from food and found naturally in foods such as cheese, wine, and red apples. St. John's wort: Used mainly as an antidepressant, this herb can interact with numerous other drugs. Aloe: Sometimes marketed as an. That can lead to mineral depletion or worse if users have pre- existing intestinal issues, such as ulcerative colitis. Cascara: An effective laxative but ineffective weight loss agent, cascara interacts with other drugs and can throw off the body's mineral balance. Glucomannan: Derived from a plant root, glucomannan has been banned in several countries because when exposed to liquid it swells and can result in a gastrointestinal obstruction. Guarana: A natural stimulant, guarana can increase blood pressure. Yerba mate: Often used in a tea, yerba mate ingestion can result in high blood pressure and overstimulation of the central nervous system. It may also be linked to esophageal cancer. Guar gum: It is used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as a thickening agent, but taken alone, guar gum can swell on contact with liquid, potentially leading to an obstruction. Ephedra (ma huang): Consumers should not be able to find OTC supplements containing this ingredient, because the FDA banned its sale in dietary supplements in 2. Use of ephedra can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. SOURCES: www. healthyweightforum. Healthy Weight Forum)Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2. Feb; 1. 8(2): 1. 58- 6. Teachers Domain)www. Obesity Action Council)www. Daily Med)www. webmd. American Association of Retired Persons)www. NIH, Office of Dietary Supplements website. Over- the- Counter and Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss http: //www. Last Editorial Review: 7/1. The Truth About Diet Pills. Dieting has become a national obsession and a multibillion- dollar industry. In fact, almost a quarter of all Americans say they are currently on a diet. Given that more than half of us are overweight, eating well and exercising are great ways to get healthy, but there's one weight loss strategy that can do more harm than good - diet pills. There are more than a dozen prescription medications and hundreds of over- the- counter drugs and herbal supplements for weight loss. They work in several ways: by suppressing your appetite, increasing your metabolism or keeping your body from absorbing the fat you eat. Here's your guide to some popular choices and what you need to know to play it safe. Herbal Supplements Bitter orange has been used for many years in other parts of the world. Much like the naturally released chemical synephrine, it increases your energy and reduces your appetite. The release of synephrine is triggered when you need to run from real danger, but it's not the kind of chemical you want free floating in your system where it can increase blood pressure high enough to cause a stroke. Hoodia can be found in liquid, pill, and even lollipop forms. Originally used by African leaders when they were embarking on a long journey to hunt or wage war, the plant- derived substance increases the amount of energy in the brain, which tells your body you have enough fuel and don't need to eat anymore. The drug has become so popular in the United States that more Hoodia has been sold here in the last year than has ever been made in African countries. Buyer Beware You may think that anything you find in a pharmacy is safe and effective. But that's far from the truth. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate many over- the- counter products, including herbal supplements. That means you have no idea how much of the active ingredient is actually in the product, whether it will work, and most importantly, if it contains harmful substances. A recent FDA investigation found that nearly 7. Prescription Medications These medications are regulated by the FDA, but physicians are still cautious in prescribing them. They're only given to people who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 3. BMI of 2. 7 in conjunction with other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. That's because these drugs, which tamper with the very complicated system that drives us to eat, can be risky to use. It coats the intestinal system stopping the enzymes that normally digest fat, enabling our bodies to absorb it. If you don't absorb fat, you can't absorb calories. Buyer Beware : If you eat too much fat (a plate of cheese nachos, for instance), you will overload the system, and suffer bloating, gas and oily, loose, and frequent stools. To avoid this complication, you have to keep your total fat intake to 3. Orlistat also inhibits your body's ability to absorb important vitamins such as A, D and E, so it's important to take a multivitamin in conjunction with it. Dr. Oz's Weight Loss in a Cup Caffeine is a healthy way to jumpstart a diet. Two cups of black coffee (no cream, no sugar) a day will increase your metabolism. Check with your doctor before you put this into practice.
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